SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. investment firm Third Avenue
Management said on Tuesday it has set up a research office in
Singapore to improve its monitoring of Asian companies.

Third Avenue, whose Asian holdings include Cheung Kong
<0001.HK>, Henderson Land <0012.HK> and Toyota Industries
<6201.T>, said the Singapore office will be headed by Henry
Patner.

The firm is actively seeking to add research professionals
to its Singapore office, it said in a statement.

"Our firm has in excess of $9 billion invested in Asia...It
is important to have resources on the ground in this region to
continue to enhance our research capabilities," Third Avenue
Chief Executive David Barse said in the statement.

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Third Avenue manages four funds with total assets of around
$20 billion, according to its Web site.

Singapore's financial services industry has grown strongly
in the past three years, as the city-state has wooed the
world's top players in private banking, expanded its
derivatives market and attracted Chinese stock market listings.